[originaltext] If you judge by the number of people who go to see the games

If you judge by the number of people who go to see the games and by the number of those who actually play it, basketball is probably the most popular sport in the United States. It is mainly an in- door game, and the season extends from late autumn, through the winter, to early spring. There are many professional teams, but for the most parts basketball is a school sport. There is hardly a high school or college in the country that does ’not have its team and its loyal following of fans.
    In spring and summer, the most popular sport is baseball. During the warm weather you can see young men and boys playing this game in any part of the country. Radio and television bring the details of the big games to every comer of the land, and the activities of the professional teams are a topic of conversation for Americans everywhere.
    In the autumn, the most popular sport is football. As you know, this is not the same kind of game that is so popular in other parts of the world. Like basketball and baseball, it is typically American, and those who have never seen it before have difficulty seeing any sense in it. But for most of the viewers the game itself is not so important as the music, the cheering; and the cheerful spirit that go with it. On a cool bright autumn afternoon, there is nothing so colorful and exciting as a football game.